Cushioning device



- Among the securing of efliciency and smoothness of action.

are restored to normal position by the action of.

In the drawing- Patented A ug. 22, 1933 -l UNITED sTATEs 1,923,394-ctismome nEvroE Donald F. sproul, chicago, m; wiener toonawellWestinghouse Company, a Corporation of Delaware application september19, 19.2.1

serial No. 563,729

i A3 claims. (ci. zei-9) The invention relates to cushioning devices ofthe friction type and inthe disclosed embodiment is especially adaptedfor the support of car holsters.

objects of the invention are the and also to provide for the easyadjustment of the device to adapt vit to the load it will be required tosupport.

Fig. 1 is a central device as applied to acar;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on Fig. 1; and l the line 2-2 of Fig. o3 is agroup of the friction elements shown v' in perspective.

The improveddevice comprisesa cylindrical casing 10 having lateral footflanges 11 for resting upon a support 12. The upper end of the casing isopen and its inner walls flare toward such end, at least on two sides ofthe cylinder. The casing is further provided with opposltely disposedlongitudinal guide ribs as 13. A pair of segmental friction shoes 14cooperate with the inclined walls of the cylinder, each of these'shoesbeing formed with wedged blocks 15 on its inner side. With these wedgedblocks, there cooperate similar wedge faces 16 formed on an inwardlyprojecting hollow stem 17 of a follower 18 which is adapted to supportat least in part a car bolster indicated at 19.

A spring seat 20 bears upwardly against the wedged blocks 15 and issupported by a helical spring 21 reacting against anut 22 -in threadedengagement with -a bolt 23 which extends axially' through the chamber ofthe follower extension 17 and is carried thereby.

A helical spring 24 reacts between the foot flange 11 of the casing andthe follower 18 and contributes to the support of the loadl andfunctions to restore the friction elements to .normal position aftercompression.

An outer helical spring 25 is' shown as interposed between the bolster19 and the support 12 and carries a portion of the load, without,however, modifying the action of the friction device already described.v

Upon the application of the device, the spring 21 is put under tensionby adjusting the nut 22.v

to which access is gained through an 'aperture 26 in the closed end ofthe casing 10.

This spring tension causes the application of spreading wedging forcesto the shoes 14 and `consequently holds them under pressure against thecasing walls. Upon the compression ofthe device by the downward movementof the bolster 19, the shoes 14 are moved downwardly and forced inwardlyby reason of the inclination' of the innerwalls of lthe casing. Thisinward radial movement of the shoes forces the spring seat 20,down

wardly against the resistance of the spring 21 and. this action isfacilitated by giving the contacting faces of the wedged blocks l5 andspring seat 20 wedging faces having an obtuse angular relation to theaxis of the device.

'Upon relief of the compressingforces, the parts the spring 24. Relativeturning movement of the wedge and friction elements is prevented by v.-1;ha,fengagement with guide ribs 13 of complelongitudinal section ofthe mentary longitudinal ribs 27 formed longitudiclosed end `and beinginwardly tapered from itsopen end, segmental friction shoes engaging thetapered walls 'and having outward facing wedge surfaces on their innerfaces, a follower having wedge faces cooperating vwith the wedgesurfaces of the shoes, an axial rod anchored to the follower andextendngt into the casing, a nut threaded upon the inner end of the rod,a spring seat bearing outwardly against the shoes, a spring reactingbetween vthe seat and the nut and a helical spring reacting between thecasing flange and the follower. l

2. In a cushioning device in combination a cylindrical casing having alateral flange at one end and being inwardly tapered from. its oppositelopen end, segmental friction shoes engaging the tapered walls and havingoutwardly facins wedge surfaces on their inner faces, a follower havingwedge faces cooperating with the wedge surfaces of the shoes and havinglongitudinal guide ribs cooperating with guide ribs on the inner wall ofthe casing, an axial rod anchored to the follower end, segmentalfriction shoes engaging the tapered walls and having outwardly facingwedge surfaces on their inner faces, a follower having wedge facescooperating with thawedge surfaces of the shoes, means 'for preventingrelative turning movement of the follower and casing, an axial rodanchored to the follower and extending into the casing, a nut threadedupon the inner end of the rod,'a spring seat bearing outwardly againstthe shoes, a spring reacting between the seat and the nut, and a helicalspring reacting between the casing flange and the follower.

DONALD SPROUL.

